Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of Communism

After the deaths of three different Soviet leaders in three years, Gorbachev became the leader of the USSR in 1985. He wanted to improve the Soviet Union’s relation with the US so he met with President Reagan and President Bush nine times, he signed the Intermediate Nuclear Forces arms limitation treaty with President Reagan in 1987 and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with President Bush in 1991. He also withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 and removed Soviet support of Communist governments around the world. All of these things he was doing cause the collapse of the Berlin wall in 1989, the Soviet Union gave Eastern European countries to declared independence during the elections in 1990. He encouraged Soviet citizens to discuss ways to improve their society which is one of his policies known as glasnost. He also introduces the idea of local managers gained greater authority over their farms and factories, and people were allowed to open a small private business, which is known as perestroika.